English Grammar Practice

By Roxana Nastase

English Grammar might seem difficult. It gets easier with carefully chosen examples and comparisons. You can master English grammar through conversational exercises. They will help you with everyday life in an English environment. Method tested for many years with very good results.
This Grammar English Book offers grammar, fully explained

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scarlet Leaf
• Release date: Dec 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9780988089501

Roxana Nastase

Roxana Nastase has been teaching English for over seventeen years, ranging in level from kindergarten to college. She specializes in English Grammar and has had several books issued throughout the years. Her books were used with much success in schools in Eastern Europe for teaching English as a second language.

Book preview

SCARLET LEAF PUBLISHING HOUSE

2015

SCARLET LEAF PUBLISHING HOUSE

TORONTO

ONTARIO

CANADA

COPYRIGHT BY ROXANA NASTASE

ISBN: 978-0-9880895-0-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book can be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For information address Scarlet Leaf Publishing House

[e-mail]

Printed by CreateSpace, an Amazon.com Company

Available on Kindle and other retail outlets

UNIT 1: PRESENT TENSE

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

UNIT 2: PRACTICE PRESENT TENSE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

UNIT 3: PRACTICE PRESENT TENSE – 2

UNIT 4: PROGRESSIVE TEST

UNIT 5: PAST TENSES

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

USED TO + BARE INFINITIVE / WOULD TO + BARE INFINITIVE

PAST CONTINUOUS

PAST PERFECT

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

UNIT 6: PRACTICE PAST TENSES - 1

UNIT 7: PRACTICE PAST TENSES - 2

UNIT 8: CONSOLIDATION PAST TENSE

UNIT 9: PRESENT PERFECT TENSE AND PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

UNIT 10: PRACTICE PRESENT PERFECT – 1

UNIT 11:  PRACTICE PRESENT PERFECT – 2

UNIT 12: PROGRESS TEST

UNIT 13: FUTURE

SIMPLE FUTURE

TO BE GOING TO (NEAR FUTURE)

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

FUTURE PERFECT

FUTURE IN THE PAST

UNIT 14: PRACTICE FUTURE - 1

UNIT 15: PRACTICE FUTURE - 2

UNIT 16: FUTURE – PROGRESS TEST

UNIT 17: CONDITIONAL TYPE 1, 2 AND 3 AND WISHES

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

CONDITIONAL TYPE I

CONDITIONAL TYPE 2

CONDITIONAL TYPE 3

MODAL VERBS IN CONDITIONAL

WISHES

UNIT 18: PRACTICE CONDITIONAL TYPE 1 AND 2

UNIT 19: PRACTICE CONDITIONAL TYPE 2 AND 3

UNIT 20: PRACTICE WISHES

UNIT 21: CONDITIONALS AND WISHES CONSOLIDATION

UNIT 22: MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS IN PRESENT

MODAL VERBS IN THE PAST

UNIT 23: PRACTICE MODAL VERBS

UNIT 24: PASSIVE VOICE

UNIT 25: PRACTICE PASSIVE VOICE

UNIT 26: REPORTED SPEECH

UNIT 27: PRACTICE REPORTED SPEECH

SOLUTION OF THE EXERCISES

UNIT 2: PRACTICE PRESENT TENSE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

UNIT 3: PRACTICE PRESENT TENSE – 2

UNIT 4: PROGRESSIVE TEST

UNIT 6: PRACTICE PAST TENSES - 1

UNIT 7: PRACTICE PAST TENSES - 2

UNIT 8: CONSOLIDATION PAST TENSE

UNIT 10: PRACTICE PRESENT PERFECT – 1

UNIT 11:  PRACTICE PRESENT PERFECT – 2

UNIT 12: PROGRESS TEST

UNIT 14: PRACTICE FUTURE - 1

UNIT 15: PRACTICE FUTURE - 2

UNIT 16: FUTURE – PROGRESS TEST

UNIT 18: PRACTICE CONDITIONAL TYPE 1 AND 2

UNIT 19: PRACTICE CONDITIONAL TYPE 2 AND 3

UNIT 20: PRACTICE WISHES

UNIT 21: CONDITIONALS AND WISHES CONSOLIDATION

UNIT 23: PRACTICE MODAL VERBS

UNIT 25: PRACTICE PASSIVE VOICE

UNIT 27: PRACTICE REPORTED SPEECH

UNIT 1: PRESENT TENSE

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

EXPLANATIONS

A.Situations:

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1. To express a generally valid truth

Ex: Earth goes round the Sun.

2. To show that a certain present action develops repeatedly or frequently

Ex: I often go with them to the sea.

Note: Generally, an adverb or an adverbial phrase is present in the sentence in such a situation: always, often, rarely, every day, twice a month etc.

Exception: if we want to express irritation, annoyance or a negative emotion, then, although the action presents a certain frequency, the verb is in present continuous to emphasize the respective affirmation.

Ex: You are always breaking something while washing up!

3. There are certain verbs used only in Simple Present Tense

to know   to own   to seemto want

to understand   to agree   to love to smell

to mean   to hate to see  to wish  

to belong  to like   to hear to believe

to hope   to need  to sound to have

to realise  to appear to taste   to recognize

Exceptions:

TO HAVE - when it is used in phrases, it changes its meaning and therefore, may be used in Simple or Continuous Present Tense, up to the situation

Ex1: I have dinner at six o'clock in the evening. (habitual action)

Ex2: I'm having dinner at six o'clock in the evening. (action taking place only this evening)

TO SMELL - when it is followed by a direct object may be used in Simple Present Tense or Continuous Tense up to the situation.

Ex1: He is smelling a rose.

Ex2: He smells the roses in the garden every day.

TO SEE - when its meaning is TO MEET may be used in Simple Present Tense or Continuous Tense up to the situation.

Ex. 1: She sees him every day. (Simple Present – frequency)

Ex. 2: She is seeing him at three o’clock today. (Present Continuous, temporary action)

when it is used in forming expressions - it changes meaning

Ex.: to see off  may be used in Simple Present Tense or in Continuous Tense up to the situation.

TO TASTE - in situations like:

a)  To show that something is tasteful  then, we use Simple Present Tense

Ex.: This soup tastes great!

b)  To show that someone wants to see if there is necessary to put something into a dish or to let it as it is, then, we can use the verb either in Simple Present Tense or in Present Continuous, depending on the situation.

Ex.1: I always taste the soup to see if it is salty enough.

Ex.2: What are you doing? – I’m tasting the soup.

TO HEAR - in situations like:

a)  To show the perception of hearing  Simple Present Tense

Ex.1: What’s that? I hear a noise.

b)  To show a situation similar to listening:

 Simple Present Tense if we have a truth or a frequency

Ex.: Judges hear people during trials.

 Present Continuous if we have a temporary situation

Ex.: What’s the judge doing? - The judge is hearing the witness now.

TO HATE / TO LOVE – used in Present Continuous Tense only to show a temporary action

Ex.: I’m hating this book!

to think  1. to believe (showing opinion)  Simple Present Tense

Ex: I think you’re right.

 2. actual action of thinking  Simple Present Tense / Present Continuous Tense

Ex. 1: I always think of you, you know that.

Ex. 2: I’m thinking of you right now.

to expect  1. related to expectations

Ex.: I expect it will clear up.

 2. when you wait for someone or something

Ex.: I’m expecting some friends

TO BE may be used in Present Continuous Tense only when we want to emphasize the negative behaviour of someone in a certain moment.

Note the difference:

Ex.1: He is a very naughty boy. (general feature)

Ex.2: He is being very naughty today. (temporary situation)

4. When the verbs express a non-durative action, the verb is used in Simple Present Tense.

Ex.: The boy suddenly jumps in the middle of the room.

5. When we express habits or features:

Ex1: They have dinner at seven o’clock in the evening. (habit)

Ex2: They are having dinner at seven o’clock this evening. (temporary action)

6. Simple Present Tense is used to present a demonstration, to comment a match, to give instructions

Ex: The boy takes the ball and passes it to his colleague. This one runs to the other side of the field and scores.

7. The Simple Present Tense is also used to tell a story in present even if the action took place in the past or to make a statement.

Ex: I bet you read a novel and you don’t learn.

8. We use Simple Present Tense for:

 titles for articles in newspapers and magazine

Ex: Factory blows up in the north.

 instructions; itineraries

Ex: You take the flour and the butter and rub them together.

 calendar references

Ex: In April, I go to Brasov; in June, I go to Arad.

 in scenarios for instructions

Ex: The actor gets onto the stage on the right side of the stage. He walks to the middle of the stage.

9. We may use a verb in Simple Present Tense to express a future, when the action is formally planned or to refer to timetables for trains, planes, buses and so on.

Ex: The conference starts at ten o'clock tomorrow.

10. Present Simple Tense shows the simultaneity of the action in a clause sentence with the action in the main sentence whose verb is in the future.

Ex: The boy will leave when we get there.

11. We use it in conditional sentences when the verb in the main sentence is in the future.

Ex: He will come if you call him up.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

1. When the action takes place in the moment of speaking, the verb may

be in Present Continuous.

Ex: I'm reading a book (now).

2. When the action takes place in the future and is informally planned, we

may use Present Continuous Tense.

Ex: Next year, we are going to the sea.

3. When we want to show an action in progression, we use Present Continuous.

Ex: It is getting colder every day.

B. CONJUGATION OF VERBS

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1.1. Affirmative

1.1.1. Generally, we use the bare infinitive for all the persons, but the third

person singular (he. she, it) where we add -s to the bare infinitive.

To-infinitive: ex: to live

Bare infinitive: ex: live

––––––––

I want

you want

he wants

we want

you want

they want

––––––––

1.1.2. When the verb ends in –o, we use the bare infinitive for all the persons, but the third person of the singular, where we add –es.

Ex: to go

I go

You go

He goes

We go

You go

They go

––––––––

1.1.3. When the verb ends in –x, -ss, -ch, -sh, -z, we use the bare infinitive for all persons, but for the third person singular where we add –es (pronounced i:z)

Ex: to touch

I touch

You touch

He touches

We touch

You touch

They touch

1.1.4. When the verb ends in –y, we use the bare infinitive for all the persons, but for the third person of the singular, where:

1.1.4.1. We add –s, if there is a vowel before y

Ex: to buy, to stay, to pay, etc.

He buys; He stays; He pays

1.1.4.2. When there is a consonant before –y, for the third person singular y changes into –i+es (pronounced i:z)

Ex: to study

––––––––

I study

You study

He studies

We study

You study

They study

––––––––

EXCEPTION: TO SAY, at the third person singular adds directly -S but

changes the pronunciation

Ex.: He says (se:z)

The verbs TO BE, TO HAVE and MODAL VERBS have their own conjugation:

TO BE: I am; you are; he is; she is; it is; we are; you are; they are

- short forms: I’m; you're; he's; she's; it's; we're; you're; they're.

TO HAVE: I have; you have; he has; she has; it has; we have; you have;

they have. ;

- short forms: I've, you've, he's, she's it's, we've, you've, they've

OBSERVATION: The British people prefer to use TO HAVE GOT (conjugating TO HAVE and adding the participle of TO GET) instead of TO HAVE to express possession:

I’ve got

you’ve got

he’s got

she’s got

it’s got

we’ve got

you’ve got

they’ve got

––––––––

Modal verbs do not add anything to the third person singular.

Ex: he can

1.2. Negative

For Simple Present negative we use the auxiliary TO DO. We do not use it for the verbs TO BE and the Modal Verbs, which form the negative form with no help. TO HAVE GOT forms the negative without any auxiliary, because TO HAVE is the auxiliary.

Negative form:

subject + do not + bare infinitive (for all persons excepting the third person singular)

Ex: I do not go there every week.

Or the short form:

subject + don't + bare inf.

Ex: I don't go there every week.

For the third person singular:

subject + does not + bare inf.

Ex: He does not have lunch at one o'clock every day.

Or the short form

subject+ doesn't + bare inf.

Ex: He doesn't have lunch at one o'clock every day.

TO BE - negative form:

I am not

You are not

He is not

She is not

It is not

We are not

You are not

They are not

0r the short forms:

I'm not

You're not / You aren't

He's not / He isn't

She's not / She isn't

It's not / It isn't

We're not /We aren't

You're not / You aren't

They're not / They aren't

––––––––

For modal verbs, not is added directly to the verb, and in most situations in short form:

Ex: I cannot / I can’t

Ex: He cannot / He can’t

TO HAVE GOT

I haven’t got

You haven’t got

He hasn’t got

We haven’t got

You haven’t got

They haven’t got

––––––––

1.3. Interrogative

All verbs, excepting the verbs TO BE, TO HAVE GOT and Modal Verbs,

form the interrogative with the auxiliary TO DO:

- for all person, excepting the third person singular:

Do + subject + bare inf. ?

Ex: Do you go to mountain every week?

- for the third person singular

Does + subject + bare inf.?

Ex: Does he read a novel twice a week?

For TO BE:

Am I?

Are you?

Is he?

Is she?

Is it?

Are we?

Are you?

Are they?

––––––––

For TO HAVE GOT:

Have I got?

Have you got?

Has he got?

Has she got?

Has it got?

Have we got?

Have you got?

Has it got?

––––––––

For Modal Verbs: Modal verb + subject?

Ex: Can you come? ; Must she go there?

1.4. Interrogative -Negative

All verbs, excepting the verbs TO BE, TO HAVE GOT and Modal Verbs, form the interrogative with the auxiliary TO DO:

For all persons excepting the third person singular:

Do + subject + not + bare inf.?

Don’t + subject + bare inf.? (for short forms)

Ex: Do you not like the soup? / Don’t you like the soup?

For the third person singular:

Does + subject + not + bare inf.?

Doesn’t + subject + bare inf.? (for short forms)

Ex: Does he not go to the mountains every summer?

Doesn’t he go to the mountains every summer?

For TO BE:

Am I not?

Are you not?

Is he not?

Are we not?

Are you not?

Are they not?

Short forms:

Aren’t you?

Isn’t he?

Aren’t we?

Aren’t you?

Aren’t they?

––––––––

TO HAVE GOT

Ex: Have you not got? / Haven’t you got? (short form)

MODAL VERBS

Ex: Can’t you leave it like that?

Can’t he come tomorrow?

NOTE: Generally, in spoken language, the short forms are preferred

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

NOTE: To express the continuous aspect of all tenses (present, past, future), we use the auxiliary TO BE at the respective tense and we add -ING to the bare infinitive of the verb.

Therefore, for present tense:

2.1. Affirmative

subject + to be (pres.) + [vb.+-ing]

Ex: He’s reading a book.

I’m just having lunch.

They’re doing their homework.

We’re listening to some music and having fun.

You’re wasting your time with that book.

2.2. Negative

subject + to be (pres. neg.) + [vb.+-ing]

Ex: He isn’t reading a book.

I’m not looking for anything.

We aren’t going to the theatre tonight.

You aren’t listening to me.

They aren’t watching movies.

2.3. Interrogative

to be (pres.) + subject + [vb. + -ing]?

Ex: Is he reading that book?

Are you leaving now?

2.4. Interrogative-Negative

to be (pres.) + subject + not + [vb. + - ing]?

Ex: Is he not going there?

Are we not going to Charles this evening?

Are they not coming to us tomorrow?

Or with the short form of the verb TO BE negative:

to be (pres. neg.) + subject + [vb. + - ing]?

Ex: Isn’t he going there with them?

Aren’t you doing your homework?

[VERB + -ING]

It represents:

- gerund

- present participle

-the mark of the present continuous

Formation:

1. Generally, by adding directly ING to the bare infinitive of the verb

ex: read+- ING  reading

2. To the verbs